AYV News, July 10, 2024
The Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security, (PI-CREF) has welcomed the African Development Bank (AfDB) Special Envoy for Feed Africa, Dr. Timothy Olalekan Williams at their secretariat.
Dr Williams who is on a one-day visit to Sierra Leone was accompanied by Ms. Halima Yussuf Hashi, AfDB’s Sierra Leone Country Manager.
In his remarks, Dr. Williams noted that it was important for him to pay a courtesy call on PI-CREF “given the strategic role the initiative plays within the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Sierra Leone.”
In particular, his visit also afforded him the opportunity to follow upon previous discussions he has held in the past including the setting up of the Presidential Delivery Committee with a focus on the Government’s priority Feed Salone Programme among others.
Speaking on behalf of PI-CREF’s chairman, Hon. Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Pete Kaindaneh, the Chief Technical Advisor, welcomed the AfDB team to the initiative’s office. He expressed his delight in the strong partnership that exists between the two entities; a relationship he believes will continue to grow and benefit the people of Sierra Leone.
Kaindaneh noted that PI-CREF not only played an active role in the development of the Feed Salone strategy but participated in its launch and will also be involved in monitoring to ensure the programme’s success.
“We at PI-CREF also support the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) in facilitating international support, especially the Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation (ACF),” he noted. On partnerships, he also highlighted PI-CREF’s recent collaboration with the OPEC Fund in Vienna where USD 800 million was raised to support renewable energy projects and the Feed Salone programme.
On another note, Dr. Martin Gbonda, Director, Inter-Ministerial Coordination and Policy Coherence intimated about the initiative’s work with UNDP and other government Ministries to advance the Financing of Locally Led Climate Actions (FLLoCA) in an effort to design and develop projects that seek to address climate change challenges.
Country Manager, Halima Hashi urged PI-CREF to use their expertise and networks to advocate for climate adaptation, continue to advocate for use of renewable energy for productive uses as she looks forward to working more closely with PI-CREF.
In a similar development, the EU Ambassador Manuel Müller and his team met with Hon Kandeh Yumkella, Chairman of PI-CREF, to discuss plans before finalizing the memorandum of understanding with the government for the launch of the 57 minigrids rural electrification program.
Implementing these minigrids could boost rural development by enabling communities without electricity access to utilize energy for productive purposes, thus improving their livelihoods. This initiative aligns with President Bio’s goal of advancing Sierra Leone’s economic growth through a mix of centralised and decentralised renewable energy solutions, ensuring reliable, affordable, sustainable, and modern energy provision.
